Cellular communication networks with tight frequency reuse and dense deployment of nodes tend to be interference-limited. Their simultaneous transmissions create co-channel interference which reduces Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) and therefore limits capacity. In conventional cellular communication networks, co-channel interference is reduced by Radio Resource Management such as power control, loose frequency reuse, spreading code assignments, and inter-cell interference coordination. Cellular communication networks with large signal propagation losses, due to large cell radii in rural environments or due to wall penetration for indoor users tend to be noise limited. The perceived signal attenuation, also referred to as path loss, reduces the received carrier signal strength and limits capacity.
In view of the above situation, there exist proposals to use a technique of cooperating BSs, e.g. in 3GPP LTE (3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project, LTE: Long Term Evolution) Advanced. In this technique, Rx signals from a terminal are collected from a plurality of cooperating base stations (BSs), which allows for reducing interference and increasing the received carrier signal strength. However, no details are given how groups of cooperating BSs are established.
Accordingly, there is a need for techniques that overcome the aforementioned problems and allow for efficiently selecting access nodes to be used as supporting access nodes in uplink (UL) cooperative signal reception from a terminal.